Ivano Caponigro

Ivano Caponigro is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), serving as Faculty Director of UC Education Abroad Programs in Italy. He holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from UCLA. His research focuses on cross-linguistic formal semantics, syntax, and pragmatics, with notable work on headless relative clauses, Mesoamerican languages, and the syntax-semantics interface. He co-leads the Syntax and Semantics Babble (S-Babble) discussion group and has led projects funded by grants from UC MEXUS-CONACYT, NEH, ACLS, and others.

Education: Ph.D. in Linguistics, UCLA.

Research Interests: Cross-linguistic formal semantics, syntax-pragmatics interfaces, headless relative clauses, Mesoamerican languages (e.g., Mixtec), and ASL. Recent projects include a biography of Richard Montague and collaborative work on Romanian wh-constructions and Abaza content questions. His research integrates theoretical and experimental methods, emphasizing cross-linguistic diversity.

Publications Trends: Over 30 articles/books on free relative clauses, syntactic-semantics interfaces, and cross-linguistic typology. Recent themes include headless relatives in Mesoamerica, Romanian wh-constructions, and Korean echo questions.

• Scientific Awards: ACLS Fellowship (2014), NEH Summer Stipend (2020), CASBS Fellowship (Stanford, 2014-15)

Advising & Grants: Advised over 12 graduate/undergraduate students. Secured grants from UCSD Social Sciences, UCLA Academic Senate, and UC MEXUS-CONACYT for collaborative fieldwork projects. Current book projects include a Montague biography (Oxford UP) and a Mesoamerican headless relatives monograph.

Labs & Programs: Co-organizes S-Babble and directs UCEAP programs in Italy and Australia. Promotes global academic exchange through partnerships with Collegio Ghislieri (Pavia) and Macquarie University (Sydney).